Hi Anna...

Great response, thanks for the comprehensive answer! I truly appreciate this excellent dialogue, and value your input.

In your case, I can definately see why you experienced the results you did.

I try not to judge people on their grammar, unless they profess to be an English scholar. :o)

What I found unique about Bookspan's work, is her ideology that posture needs to be consciously maintained outside of daily, or weekly "exercise", and that no amount of excercise will correct a pain response from poor structural posture, as long as the individual carries poor posture outside of excercise.

Traditional Yoga, from what I have seen, actually increases problems with rounded shoulders and over-arched backs... with those who have such chronic problems. Knowing what I now know, I cringe at some of the traditional Yoga methods... But, that said, I'm predisposed to Chi Gong, anyway! So I am most certainly prejudiced. I offer no apologies.

In "Egoscue, Pain Free, Workout Series I", they have a few excercises that definately irritate chronic pain problems in the neck area and lower back area. I find this irritating, since they advertise this particular series as a "Pain free workout". They are not very clear in how to eliminate the increase in pain, although they do address it with a few very ambigious verbal blurbs... Such as "if your lower back is hurting, try bringing your knees in"... which indicates a lack of precise understanding on how hyper-arched lower backs cause herniated discs and lower back pain. I view this methodology as irresponsible, but only irresponsible due to lack of precise information, which is provided and scientifically documented by Bookspan.

...more specifically, the ab crunches they recommend are terrible if an individual already has a rounded shoulder problem and problems with a forward tilted pelvis. If you don't have a chronic problem with these two issues, then of course there is no problem with the excercises.

And so, my simple contention is that this issue of structural habits is very important with neck pain and lower back pain... I contend, asking for your kind consideration, that the idea that no excercise will compensate for poor postural habits, and that a conscious awareness of structural loads and balances is paramount to recovery, is very worthy of consideration, and has not been covered by Egoscue ( at least, not in the videos, although I have yet to truly delve into the written works ).

I contend that Egoscue tends to rely on the contention that as you do all of the excercises, your postural habits will naturally correct themselves. To a certain extent, I do agree. But I question this based on the reported experience of those that didn't recover using the Egoscue method, due to lack of specific information and knowledge on postural structure outside of "excercising", and considering the all to "normal" habits of the average every day person.

Truly, I am not arguing with Egoscue; I am VERY excited to personally explore the Egoscue method. I think that true wisdom may be gleened from many sources, and that by understanding the true application of the knowledge of each, that a greater practical application may be experienced.

But, I am certainly open to alternative perspectives! Always!

~ Jason